title: Current concepts in the diagnosis and classification of renal dysfunction in cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Renal dysfunction is one of the most common complications of cirrhosis with high morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In subjects with cirrhosis, renal dysfunction can present either as a direct consequence of cirrhosis (e.g. hepatorenal syndrome type I and type II) or secondary to etiologies other than cirrhosis (chronic kidney disease due to diabetic nephropathy, prerenal azotemia), or patients with cirrhosis may have renal dysfunction resulting directly from cirrhosis and an underlying chronic kidney disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the challenges in the differential diagnosis of renal dysfunction and insufficient accuracy of serum creatinine and creatinine-based glomerular filtration rate estimating equations in cirrhosis, there is an urgent need for more accurate biomarkers of renal dysfunction in this population. This review will discuss novel concepts for the diagnosis and classification of renal dysfunction in cirrhosis to overcome at least some of the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Additionally, a new classification will be proposed for renal dysfunction in cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md., USA.
authors.forename: Ayse L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mindikoglu
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Weir
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015897:Comorbidity; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003404:Creatinine